Cutting car tax, raising vehicle tax

Key points of the debate

The debate focused on lowering car tax and increasing vehicle tax as well as the economic and social effects of the tax changes. The government parties defended the proposal by pointing to the renewal of the vehicle fleet, road safety, and emissions reductions. The opposition opposed the proposal, regarding the car tax cut as a poor value choice for central government finances and criticising the vehicle tax increase for hitting low-income earners and regional residents.

• –Is it sensible in terms of central government finances to cut car tax at the same time as cuts are being made elsewhere?
• –Does the tax change favour wealthy buyers of new cars and does the vehicle tax increase penalise low-income earners?
• –Does the tax structure guide effectively enough towards zero-emission transport?
• –Should the funds from the car tax cut be channelled instead towards securing public transport and regional train connections?

• National Coalition PartyIn favour

  The National Coalition Party considered it important to rejuvenate Finland's old vehicle fleet and increase low-emission vehicles, and believed the tax cuts would broadly benefit motorists.

  ”Minusta tässä autoveroalennuksessa on se hyvä puoli, että me alennamme vähäpäästöisten autojen autoveroja.”

• Finns PartyIn favour

  The group considered that easing car tax would promote the renewal of the vehicle fleet, improve road safety, and lower emissions through low-emission cars.

  ”Autoveroa kevennetään pienipäästöisiä autoja suosien neljän vuoden aikana 200 miljoonalla eurolla vuoden 2019 tasolla. Autovaltaisessa Espoossa tätä tervehditään ilolla!”

• Centre PartyIn favour

  The Centre Party supported the proposal due to the renewal of the vehicle fleet, emissions reductions, and the automotive sector's employment effects as part of a broader package of transport taxation.

  ”Tällä verotuksella voidaan myös tosiaan säädellä sitä, että autokanta uusiutuu vähäpäästöisemmäksi.”

• Social DemocratsAgainst

  The Social Democrats considered the car tax cut of 200 million euros a wrong value choice in a tight economic situation and proposed cancelling part of the reduction and using the money for regional public transport.

  ”Siksi olemme esittäneet omassa vaihtoehdossamme sitä, että osa tästä autoveron alennuksesta peruttaisiin ja käytettäisiin niin ikään hyvin ympäristöystävällisen raideliikenteen säilyttämiseen.”

• GreensIn favour with reservations

  The Greens considered the proposed car tax cut too large and expensive for central government finances, and called for a cost-neutral model and zero taxation for zero-emission cars.

  ”Erityisesti meidän tulisi suosia nollapäästöisiä autoja, ja tähän tavoitteeseen päästäisiin, jos niiden verot laskettaisiin nollaan määräajaksi.”

• Left AllianceAgainst

  The Left Alliance demanded the rejection of the car tax cut, as it considered that the change favoured buyers of new cars and penalised ordinary citizens driving older cars through the vehicle tax increase.

  ”ehdotan, että lakiehdotus 1 elikkä autoveron lasku hylätään.”

• Swedish People's PartyAgainst

  The Swedish People's Party opposed lowering car tax in a difficult economic situation and considered that tax-cut funds should be targeted at measures that have a direct employment effect.

This digest was generated by AI from 49 speeches 13 Sep 2026. Group positions are read from the speeches, not from votes; quotations were checked verbatim against the record.